Alcohol Abuse At College

Alcohol Abuse At College: How To Prevent It?

Alcohol abuse has become a common feature at college parties. The “party culture” has plunged thousands of innocent college students into abysmal depths in alcohol abuse. In fact, college students can avoid the devastating consequences of alcohol abuse by being educated on the warning signs and dangers of the condition. The latest statistics in this regard are quite appalling. In fact, 4 out of every 5 students experiment with alcohol once they enter college. More than 40% of college students between the ages of 18 to 22 have engaged in binge drinking while 22% of them are drinking on 5 or more occasions per month. One in four students of this group experience poor performance in school due to this habit. That is why it is important to take immediate steps to prevent alcohol abuse at college. This article provides information on how to prevent alcohol abuse at college.
The majority of young students find it difficult to make the transition from high school to college. In fact, the first 6 weeks in college are crucial to determine how the student will adapt to the pressures of meeting new friends. Homesickness and other sources of stress could come up under such circumstances. Most students take refuge in alcohol thinking that it will give them the necessary courage to adapt to this new situation. This is where the problem begins. It is a myth to think that alcohol can make you courageous enough to adapt to the new situation.
The most vulnerable students are those who live on campus. A number of college campuses have an alcohol-centric culture at the moment. This is quite true for schools with Greek fraternities, schools in the northeast, and schools where sports play a large part of their culture. On the other hand, students who live close to the campus in their own apartments are also at a higher risk of this condition. These students get to taste real freedom after a long parental rule. Hence, most of them tend to experiment with alcohol and drugs. Students who stay with their parents are less likely to fall prey to this condition.
Non-school related social gatherings that are organized by college students have alcohol openly available even for those who are below the legal drinking age. Most students are pressurized to consume alcohol if they want to fit in with their new friends. Also, students who live on the campus premises have more free time and less supervision by adults. This is an ideal opportunity for them to turn to alcohol, whether to experiment or alleviate the feeling of loneliness. That’s how most students first start on the journey to alcoholism.
Unfortunately, there is no 100% guaranteed technique to save college students from abusing alcohol. But parents can do a great deal by educating the students of what they should expect when entering college. They should be taught alternative methods of dealing with social anxiety and stress without relying on alcohol to alleviate these feelings. The college management can prevent students from falling victim to alcohol abuse by providing them with more recreational activities and educating the students on the consequences of alcohol abuse.
Stress is one of the most important reasons for students to depend on alcohol to find some relief from it. It is important to teach these students how to deal with stress without falling prey to alcohol. Education authorities have also taken many important steps to decrease the dependence on alcohol in colleges.
The aforementioned article provides information on how to prevent alcohol abuse at college.